There is no doubt that abstract forms and designs are appealing to many people. According to studies, people have interests when it comes to these designs. Asymmetrical patterns, for example, are more attractive than symmetrical patterns. The scientist attempts to understand this disorder as a component of biochemical signals produced and perceived in the brains of humans and other animal species. There are also psychological explanations that attempt to justify the spectator's appreciation of pattern aesthetics. These psychological theories try to connect the brains imagination and visualization through the eyes and build the relationship that comes from bouncing back of light from an object and how it is interpreted in the mind of a person. In this light, the interpretation of the light that bounces from a pattern and how it is interpreted in mind input into the study. The cognitive and the affective process involved in response to the appreciation of the aesthetic of patterns is a subject that has attracted many studies, as such, this will explore reasons why people are attracted to patterns.
Background to Visual Aesthetics
According to Hekkert “aesthetics” has its roots from the Greek word aesthesis which refers to the visual sensory and the comprehension of visual knowledge (158). In the 18th century, philosopher Baumgar coined the meaning of the term into gratification of the senses. Since the work of art is specifically created for the purpose of appealing to the eye through our senses, the idea has been integrated into an experience to art, such as the aesthetic appeal, judgment, understanding, emotion, attitude, and aesthetic value. Furth more, all these are considered part of the appreciation of beauty but people can still experience aesthetics in nature and other things and mostly in visual arts. Thus, aesthetic is defined in terms of visual appearance and how people appreciate beauty depending on their interpretation. Furthermore, aesthetic appeal is influenced by objects appearance including its texture.
Evolution of Aesthetics
Aesthetic response is a complex human reaction towards different aspects of nature (Schacht 241). It is important to note that the word nature as used in this description does not only refer to the environment but also to the humans and their activities such as art. As part of the human mental condition, aesthetic response entails an evaluation of aspects in relation to what people consider beautiful. Despite the world beautiful being relative, there is some universality in its connotation of things that are attractive to the eye. Anything that is beautiful elicits positive reactions or effects in the human senses. However, what remains unclear is how these sensory behaviors are created in the minds of humans. Moreover, it is not possible to describe how the brains react to categories of things in the determination of anything that is pleasant or unpleasant to the eye. For the purpose of this study, the understanding will not be based on scientific understanding but rather visual interpretation through an artistic lens. The narrowing down from scientific explanation to visual interpretation is important in this study because it will help to avoid being ambiguous and get to a specific understanding of the concepts as intended.
To answer the basic underlying question of origins of aesthetic as part of human cognitive the very basic question that needs to be addressed is “why we see thing as appealing or like things?” Such a question will take us to exploring so many aspects of human behavior in relation to psychological attitudes and human behavior evolution that will only lead to complication of the subject matter. Crucial to the understanding of the reaction to stimuli as either pleasing or unpleasant to senses is the adaptive system that is created in brains. Thus, the evolution of aesthetics and human interpretation of aesthetics of patterns is as old as human evolution and human knowledge and appreciation of beauty.
Psychological Theories of Aesthetics of Patterns and Human Perception
Neuroaesthetics Theory
The neuroaesthetic theory was developed in the early 90s a scientific approach of looking at the reasoning behind an attraction abstract work of art. It was found that this genre of art stimulates neural activity as the person tries to identify familiar shapes, thus, making the work “powerful.” For example, it when the brain is tasked with solving a puzzle, it is pleased when the solution is found. From this tenet, it is clear that the sensory part of the brain is not only driven by just observation but rather by other factors that influence the cognitive aspect of human psychology. Furthermore, the theory tries to explain that vis-à-vis that visual cognition the inspiration drawn from the pattern also plays a significant role in its interpretation in mind. The mind is drawn to something because of the impression visualized and experienced through the eyes. It is also important to understand that this happens in a matter of milliseconds and probably people do not take the time to think much before something start to appeal to them. For example, a person could be traveling and instantly notice something beautiful. This shows that the person did not take time to think if that thing was beautiful or not, it just automatically records in the mind.
The Peak Shift Principle
The underlying idea behind this tenet is that animals can respond to a more exaggerated degree of stimulus than the normal one. This concept originates from Nikolaas Tinbergen and was advanced by Ramachandran and William Hirstein in the 1999 paper The Science of Art. The study showed that chicks responded to “super stimulus.” This theory is relevant in appreciation other animals also respond to color as part of incentives. As part of understanding aesthetics of patterns, color shows that the brain can easily record it from the moments the lights bounces from the object to eyes. As demonstrated by animals, human eyes also have a visual response to colors as opposed to something with definite color. In other words, aesthetics is recognized not just by humans but also by animal which shows the abilities of brain to recognize different environments.
Reasons Why People are Attracted to Aesthetics of Patterns
It is evident that patterns have focal points or a point of origin from which it seems to flow. As part human cognition, people tend to follow such origin in such for the conclusion. Furthermore, people can also start from the end coming towards the beginning of the flow. This visual attraction is driven humans need to solve the mystery and the satisfaction that comes with it. Thus, aesthetics of patterns attract humans because of the adventure to solve the patterns. Individuals follow the patterns to disseminate their origins and their end point through the focal point. Furthermore, the focal point becomes the center of attention-directing the mind to the attention of the pattern. For example, looking at zigzag lines become attractive because of the nonlinear flow unlike looking a straight line which seems a just a continuous flow.
The visual flow of the aesthetics of patterns also attracts the eye of humans making it pleasant to watch. It is commonly agreeable that watching a river flow gracefully is something that is appealing to the eye. The cognitive aspect of human vision is attracted by that smooth flow and the simple twists that come with the flow. Ideally, the whole concept of turns and twists creates an illusion of harmony and form in mind. This becomes appealing because it breaks the monotony of linear flow in the brains. Something that is linear will not attract the brain to concentrate on it because the first look gives the impression of everything. Thus, through breaking the monotony the in mind, the aesthetics of patterns becomes beautiful to watch.
Furthermore, when designs elements or any other piece of art lack clear organization, the human eye does not know where to look or focus. This creates a sense of chaos in mind and distracts the mind looking at something that is not visually appealing. Kliever argues that anything that lacks a sense of flow impedes the smooth flow of the mind hence disorienting the mind from further looking at the piece (“Design School”). Bell supports this argument suggesting that beauty is created by positive contrasts (73). Ideally, this means that for something to appear beautiful in the eyes it must have some organization and flow that capture and arrests the eyes to continue watching. Therefore, through the ability to create seemingly flowing illusions in mind, the aesthetics of patterns attract the mind to concentrate on them, and thus they appear beautiful to watch.
The aesthetics of patterns creates a sense of balance in a piece of art which is essentially in the visual appeal. When elements appear to unbalance in art, they distract the eyes making it hard to pay attention to specific points of interest. For something to appear beautiful, it must attract the person and not distract the person. Thus, through creating visual balance, the aesthetics of patterns invites humans to look at them and make a judgment that they are beautiful. In this sense, beauty is constructed in mind through the creation of balance.
Patterns employ certain different colors which make them unique literary speaking. Colors have deep subconscious importance in mind. Besides, through color emotional, psychological and cultural values are created. Similar to focal point color creates visual flow attracting the human eye. A plain object will least have an interesting influence on a person as compared to that of the colored object. For example, a plain canvas with different a single color such as white will appear least attractive when compared with another canvas created with a pattern of colors. What happens in such a case is that, the mind becomes bored with the single color and quickly losses interest in the plain color. On the other hand, the brain is attracted to the other canvas because it has different patterns created by colors. The mind is attracted because it has something to look forward to as opposed to continuously looking at the same thing. Thus, the aspect of boredom plays a major role in how people visualize things and get attracted to them. In this light, the aesthetics of patterns through repeated color removes the boredom, and they appear beautiful to the eyes.
Color also creates a sense of depth through grades of texture and brightness. A color is used in visual arts to induce an illusion of distance which is an appealing illusion to the eyes. As part of aesthetics created by patterns, colors formulate something to look forward to which is necessary for the mind to imagine things. Psychologically, this aspect of creating an illusion of distance is essential in solving the puzzle that already formulates in mind from looking at color patterns.
Additionally, colors complement, enhance, exaggerate, or contrast a piece of art. As earlier mentioned, beauty is created from the contrast created. Thus, through color beauty is created through contrast, complement, or exaggeration. As part of aesthetics created by patterns, color plays a significant role in the interpretation of something. For example, the illusion of reality is stimulated through patterns created by colors. People tend to believe in colored patterns as opposed to those without colors. For example, if a colored image is manipulated to eliminate ninety percent of the original colors, the image appears as though it not the original one. Thus, the originality is lost simply by the change of colors. Again an old art might look ugly just because it has lost its original color, yet when it is repainted the image gains its beauty. This shows the impacts of color as part influencing the mind to react to a situation. Thus, color in patterns serves to improve its overall look. In this light, it is clear that the aesthetics of designs attracts people because of creating the element of believability.
Hosey argues that certain patterns have universal appeal and scientist in the field of physics discovered that people invariable prefer certain geometrical fractals (Sunday Review, “New York Times”). In this light, some patterns are natural appealing to the human eye just because they follow certain patterns. For example, the natural veins of leaves are agreeably beautiful to watch because of the segmentation they create on the leaf.
Texture is another prevalent and significant component of art that creates beauty and visual attractiveness of a piece of art. Texture is the feeling created by the surface of the art. The same feeling is transferred to the mind, which is why when a person looks at a surface with a good texture the person is tempted to touch. In this light, texture as part of aesthetic of patterns attracts the attention of the mind and draws further actions from the parts of the body.
The basic part of any pattern is a line which is essentially the starting and the end point of the design. Lines are used to create shapes through enclosing space. As part of aesthetic of patterns, lines appear beautiful to look at because the create emotions and feelings. Furthermore, lines provide a texture through different shades. Thus, lines are part of aesthetics that create some emotional appeal to the brains and people end up appreciating the beauty that is created through lines.
Most patterns are created from partitions of an area. Through these partitions, interest is created on a surface that probably was plain and with nothing to focus. Different patterns can be made from random or made up segments which are repeated to create rhythm and pattern. This rhythm makes a critical path that the mind follows and creates interest in the mind. Therefore, rhythm and form created from patterns contribute to making things appear beautiful to people.
Additionally, people find the aesthetic of models attractive because of the very nature of lines redirecting their eyes to a specific point of interest. As earlier noted, lines form the flow that eyes use to find a solution to a challenge presented. Patterns are fulfilling because such lines that redirect the eyes. Furthermore, the point of interested is made clear by the availability of lines. A simultaneous flow becomes an interesting thing to the eyes to follow as they dance to the rhythm of the patterns. Thus, people find the aesthetics of patterns fulfilling because of that continuous rhythm created in mind by the lines of the patterns.
The scale and hierarchy which are important parts of design naturally occur in some patterns thus stimulating the mind to resonate with them. As humans hierarchy is an important part because it brings to the social understanding of division. In everything that is done, chaos is eliminated by having a specific hierarchy of doing things and interacting with others. Thus, patterns also create this hierarchy which seems to resonate with the planning and orientation of people’s minds. Besides, the comprehension of a pattern becomes is easy when there is a hierarchy, and the mind becomes aware of which direction to follow at a particular time.
Clarity and subtlety created by the aesthetics of patterns forms another basis for people to be attracted by the patterns. When something is clear, the mind is able to interpret it and give it a context unlike when it seems unclear. In fact, unclear things are very unpleasant to watch. Patterns create a fashion that is clear in mind and therefore, gives the brains a reason to look at them. They become appealing mainly due to clear, repeated formation that the brains can follow. For example, a single image of a cube would not be that fun to watch but when they are combined in a similar way they create a pattern that becoming interesting to the mind. Additionally, through clarity, a unity of purpose is created in mind by the patterns.
Conclusion
In conclusion, visual aesthetics is something that has dominated the human life from human civilization. From the cultural practices, dress codes, and many other aspects of humans patterns clearly dominate almost every sphere. There numerous reasons behind why people prefer certain patterns and finds them appealing depending on their meaning to them. However, what remains adamant is that different aspects of aesthetics of patterns attract people and make patterns appear appealing. This study has explored different reasons that make people like the aesthetics of patterns. Through psychological, scientific, and artistic reasons the essay has argued that aesthetics of patterns form an important trace giving the eyes a reason to admire them.
Works Cited
Bell, Simon. Landscape: pattern, perception and process. London: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Hekkert, Paul. Design aesthetics: principles of pleasure in design. Psychology Science, Volume 48, 2006 (2), p. 157 – 172. Print.
Hosey, Lance. “Why We Love Beautiful Things.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Feb. 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/opinion/sunday/why-we-love-beautiful-things.html
Kliever, Janie. “12 Ways Designers Know When a Design Looks Good – And How You Can Too – Design School.” Design School. N.p., 26 June 2015. Web. 26 Apr. 2017. https://designschool.canva.com/blog/diy-design-rules/
Tractinsky, Noam . “Visual Aesthetics: The Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, 2nd Ed.” The Interaction Design Foundation. N.p., 4 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2017.< https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-encyclopedia-of-human-computer-interaction-2nd-ed/visual-aesthetics>
